something important
by empresslanfan
Summary: when Ling and Lan Fan met for the first time, she had no idea who he was. (p1 of Childhood In Xing)
1. Chapter 1

Part One of my Childhood in Xing series! Not sure how long it is going to do but hopefully it'll have at least five parts reading up to their departure to Amestris. However, they will not linear so all the drabbles won't be in order.

* * *

"Fight me."

Lan Fan raised an eyebrow, an amused smile stretched across her lips. She let her foot lift up slightly, kicking up a bit of dust from the training ground, watching as Ling stood with his arms crossed in the center.

"I don't think that's a good idea. You're not ready yet," she said and he scoffed in disdain.

"I have a teacher you know! I train on my own!" She hadn't known but only because he was never forthcoming about what he did during the day. It was something she thought about constantly: why didn't he just come and train in the dojo like everyone else? Instead he sulked around after-hours when her grandfather closed up for the night, practicing on a dummy until he met Lan Fan. She'd corrected his stance in passing, taking him for one of her grandfather's students, until he managed to rope her into sneaking out every night to teach him whatever she had learned that day. She'd been opposed to the idea at first – breaking in and using equipment without supervision sounded wrong despite there not actually being any rules about it. However, she was quickly won over by Ling's easy smile and the way he absorbed every lesson despite the fact she was a girl.

"Come on, how do I know if I'm getting better if you don't fight me," he coaxed, walking towards her. "I promise not to hurt you too bad." Oh, he knew how to ruffle the young girl's feathers.

"That teacher obviously isn't very good," she said, lifting her chin. "You were tripping over yourself before you met me."

"That's because you're a great teacher," he grinned and she bristled, feeling a flush creep down her neck.

"Fine," she said, dropping her foot to the ground and walked towards him. He didn't bother with a reply and immediately aimed a kick for her head, anticipating the way she crouched down to dodge the attack. However, he did not except her palm to slam against his shin, throwing him down against the dust.

"Damn," he growled, pushing himself up from the ground to narrowly escaping her punch. The longer the fight went on, the more they realized they weren't taking it seriously. She nimbly lifted herself up to the edge of the ring, laughing down at him.

"Cheating."

"I don't need to cheat to win," she huffed, dropping down. Seeing his opportunity as she landed on her toes, he swept his leg under her and watched as she gasped, tumbling to the ground. He launched himself at her before she could get up, pinning her arms to the floor.

"I win," he said smugly, pressing his fingers against her wrists.

"I wasn't fighting seriously."

"Come on I beat you fair and square; I've been practicing for ages," he protested, lying down next to her.

"It's been two weeks," she corrected, dusting off her pants. "And I won't be here all of next week."

"What, why?"

"Grandfather has been invited to the main house; they're picking out a guard for the young lord," she said, fidgeting. Ling raised his eyebrows but avoided her gaze, making a hum of acknowledgement.

"I doubt he needs it."

"Well I imagine royalty like him isn't very good at hand-to-hand combat. Better safe than sorry," she said idly, stretching her arms into the air. "I want to join his guard." Ling turned to her in surprise.

"Really?" She nodded fiercely, looking up at the stars.

"It seems silly, wanting to protect someone I've never meet," she said quietly, closing her eyes. "But I want to protect something important." Ling stared at her, eyes wide, before letting out a loud cough.

"I-I have to go." Lan Fan turned to him, eyes narrowed.

"That's suspicious; usually I'm the one who has to force you to leave."  
"No it's just, mom is sick of me being so tired in the mornings and I'm afraid she'll start to suspect something." She would be lying if she said her grandfather also hadn't started noticing how exhausted she was all the time; trudging into her room for an afternoon nap once she was done with training instead of doing her studies.

"Alright, I'll see you next week."

"Good night," he said, standing up and dusting off his trousers. He walked to the entrance of the dojo before digging his heels into the wood, closing his eyes.

"Hey, can I…?"

"Yeah?"

"We'll be friends no matter what, right?" Lan Fan lifted herself up and turned, staring at his moonlit back. He refused to turn in her direction, fists clenched to his sides.

"What's wrong?"

"Just answer the question!"

"It's just a strange question! Why wouldn't I be?" He turned around and smiled warily, letting his fingers unravel against his sides.

"See you soon, Lan Fan."

"I—" Ling ran off before she could say anything else and Lan Fan let herself sink into the sand, feeling it spread across her bare feet. She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Strange boy."


	2. Chapter 2

Lan Fan had been avoiding Ling for days.

Ever since she had walked into the Yao residence and spotted the boy sitting next to the Imperial Concubine; she knew she had been fooled. Gone was the casual familiarity they had, replaced by a stiff courtesy and Lan Fan fleeing the scene as soon as she could. She stopped showing up for their midnight sessions; she barely gathered the courage to say hello to him when he passed by.

All her ten-year-old mind could think about was all the time she had called the Prince an idiot.

And a lazy lout.

And a crazed night owl.

Every insult she had ever muttered in his direction replayed in her mind, making her wince as she landed a well-placed kick on a hay-filled dummy.

"Lan Fan!"

And he had found her; of course he had. Where else would she be to blow off steam and recover from the traumatizing ordeal of seeing him with that half-smile, dipping his head along with his mother's as she bowed in front of him, fingers shaking.

"Young Lord." She put her hands together and bowed, ignoring the way the corners of his lips turned down.

"You've been avoiding me." It didn't seem to be a question. She couldn't deny it; Lan Fan had always been a horrible liar.

"I—well, I….you lied to me!" She was startled by her own outburst and clenched her hands to her sides. She couldn't turn back now; might as well say what was on her mind. And she was angry.

"You lied to me and heard me say all that stuff about wanting to protect the prince and you pretended you didn't know what I was talking about!"

"I didn't lie," he protested, pouting and crossing his arms over his chest. He had come to apologize but now, in the face of her scorn, his stubbornness won out. "You never asked who I was!"

"Because I assumed you were like me," she snapped, turning her back to him and continuing her drills. If her grandfather heard her talking to Ling like this, he'd likely skin her alive. But she feared her teacher more than her grandfather, especially when it came to upcoming exams.

"Could you stop staring at me," she said, a blush fighting its way onto her face after ten minutes of his sulking. "Don't you have…princely duties to do to or something?"

"Does this mean you won't become my guard?" Startled, she twisted her torso around to face him.

"What?"

"You said you wanted to protect me. Does this mean you won't do it?"

"Of course I will," she sputtered, nodding her head. "Li—Young Lord, I am training to help you become stronger."

"But I…thought you were mad at me."

"I am mad at you," she sighed. "Really mad! But I said I'd be your friend no matter what, right?"

"…Yeah."

"I think this counts under no matter what," she said simply and then turned back around to continue. Ling stared at her a beat too long, covering his embarrassment with a loud cough.

"Yes," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "Well. Good, vassal," he didn't know what the word meant but he had heard his mom throw it around enough times to understand the context.

"Happy to know."


End file.
